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Construction on the parish church of Guanajuato was initiated in 1671, completed in 1696. Since its completion, the church has housed the patron saint of Guanajuato, a statue of the Virgin Mary granted to the city by Phillip II in recognition for the enormous amount of silver sent to the Spanish crown from this region. Center of the main altar, the Virgin stands quite appropriately on a solid silver pedestal. The original Baroque retablos of the church have all been replaced by neo-classical altars. The church has three portals, each surrounded by skillfully carved facades of cantera rosa. The facade of the main portal has three tiers which form a pyramid with classical lines. Cruciform in plan, the church was raised to the status of Basilica in 1957.

One of the original seven dioceses, the bishopric was originally established in Tlaxcala in 1531, then moved to Puebla in 1539. Construction on the present cathedral started in 1575 and continued for almost two centuries. The interior was complete by 1649, the facade by the 1660s, the first tower by 1680, and the second not until 1768. The Baroque facade of the church, restrained in ornamentation, reflects the influence of the Spanish architect Juan de Herrera. The interior of the building was completely refurbished in a Neo-Classical style in the early 19th century.

The diocese of Oaxaca was established in 1535, making it one of the original seven bishoprics established in New Spain. The first building, completed by 1544, suffered from numerous revisions and earthquakes. The cathedral was completely rebuilt between 1702 and 1730 after a series of destructive earthquakes ending in 1674. The towers were completed in 1733. The interior has a nave and side aisles. A second set of side aisles have been transformed into side chapels. The cathedral houses a total of 30 vaulted bays. The typically Baroque ornamentation of the facade is restrained by a strong classical compartmentalization: five vertical sections and three horizontal tiers. There are three portals reflecting the nave and side aisles.

The Church of La Soledad (Mary, Mother of Sorrows) was built (1682-1690) to house a miraculous statue of the Virgin venerated and loved by the people of Oaxaca. Later in 1909, La Soledad became the patron saint of the state of Oaxaca. The impressive facade of the church has the form of a huge folding screen. Elegant, yet restrained, the facade follows the precepts of Classical Orders. The engaged columns of the bottom tier are of the Doric Order, those of the second tier are Ionic, and those of the third tier are Corinthian.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, Tepoztlan was the site of an important religious shrine that drew in many inhabitants of the neighboring area. Dominican friars started Christianization here in 1538, but did not found the monastery until the 1550s. The monastery was complete by 1580, and the church by 1588.

The ruined shell of the open chapel and two posa chapels remain, one of them incorporated into the portería of the convento. Much of the convento is still in tact - sala de profundis, refectory, even a latrine used by the friars. The cloister, while architecturally austere, invites the visitor in with brightly colored frescos covering the barrel vaults of the walks.

The west portal of the church is an outstanding example of Mexican plateresque architecture. Sophisticated in design, the actual carving of the facade was undoubtedly done by indigenous artisans. Figures, particularly those above the portal, stand out from the wall in high, deeply undercut relief which clearly outlines the forms. The flattened surface of the figures is incised with bas-relief, which outlines the features of the figures, lending the sculptures the two dimensional look of a line drawing. The use of this pre-Columbian stone-carving technique to depict European images is referred to as tequitqui.

The pre-Columbian site of Mitla was originally built by the Zapotecs and later modified by the Mixtecs. It was an important burial place for royalty and priests. Artistically unique in Mesoamerica The Spaniards destroyed several palaces in Patio C of Mitla, appropriating the ancient sacred space for the new religion. They utilized existing indigenous platforms for the foundation and cut stones from the demolished buildings to construct the parish church of San Pablo Mitla. The Catholic church with its multiple domes was completed in the 17th century

The monastery of Santo Domingo, situated in the city of Oaxaca, is one of the few urban monasteries from the sixteenth century still in tact. Construction started in the 1550s, but the slow pace of building and a devastating earthquake in 1603 meant that the monastery was not occupied until 1610. Construction on the church continued another 50 years. An elaborate Baroque rosary chapel was added to the south side of the church in the early 18th century.

Before the Conquest, Yanhuitlán was an important Mixtec city in the highlands of Oaxaca. Although Dominican friars had arrived in the territory by 1529, construction was not started until 1548. Built on a platform raised 3-5 meters above ground level, this magnificent convento with its massive stepped buttresses dominates the landscape. The four bays of the single nave church are vaulted and the sanctuary fills a semi-circular apse, unusual in the 16th century. Perhaps the most striking feature of the church is the masterfully crafted artesonado ceiling on the underside of the choir loft. This ceiling of dark cedar exemplifies the influence of Islamic art on Spanish architectural models. Spotlighted inside the church is a carved stone baptismal fount that demonstrates the fusion of Christian and indigenous symbolism: the bowl of the fount is decorated with leaves and conventional Dominican rosettes, but the four stone legs are carved as plumed serpents devouring one another.

The Dominican monastery of San Pedro y San Pablo was founded in 1538; the church and monastery were substantially complete by 1561. Construction dates for the magnificent open chapel vary, but it appears to have been built very late, some time between 1561 and 1579. One of the most beautiful in Mexico, this open chapel reflects an elegant Renaissance style with geometric designs. The church, originally a single nave, was enlarged and transformed into a cruciform church in 1692. High quality statues of saints from an older church adorn niches on the facade. They stand on pedestals that bear tequitqui relief sculpture reflecting Mixtec influence.

One of the earliest chapels in New Spain, the chapel at Tizatlán was built over the former rooms of the palace of Xicohténcatl, one of the lords of Tlaxcala. Adjacent to a temple dedicated to Xochipilli, the god of flowers, stones from the preconquest buildings were used to build the chapel, hastening the demise of the former temple.

The town of San Martin Huamelulpan is known for the ancient archaeological site that it adjoins. Alfonso Caso discovered Huamelulpan in 1933. Located in the Mixteca Alta, the archaeological zone, dates back to 400 BCE. The city was situated on a principal trading route and reached its height between 300 BCE and 200 CE. Huamelulpan was one of the largest cities of the Mixtec civilization at that time. It was abandoned before the Post Classic Period. The present village of 250 inhabitants lies about 500 meters from the ancient site. The church of San Martin was built on one of the ancient platforms using stones from the pre-Colombian buildings.

The cornerstone of this Franciscan monastery was set in 1549. The church was dedicated in 1552, but construction continued well past this date. The most unique feature of the complex is the Capilla Real, a structure that was built and maintained by the indigenous people of the region. Reminiscent of the mosque in Córdoba, the interior contains nine aisles, each with seven bays, separated by octagonal and round columns. Originally the bays had wooden artesonado ceilings, but they were replaced by tiled domes in the 18th century.

The Dominican monastery of Santiago, Cuilapan, was founded in 1550. Construction on a grand scale continued over the next 30 years, then stopped before the church was completed. Whether the sudden interruption occurred for economic, political or structural reasons, the church remains unfinished to this day. A three-aisled open chapel (referred to as the Basilica) replaced the ramada of the original capilla de indios. It once sported a wooden roof, but is now open to the sky. The monastery, now a museum, has an elegant two storied cloister.

Founded in 1747 by the Jesuit Order, La Compañía represented a massive construction project dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Architect Felipe de Ureña designed this outstanding example of Churrigueresque architecture. Its facade is ornately carved with estípites, niche pilasters, and a statue in high relief of St. Ignatius Loyola above alfiz of the main portal. Education was central to the mission of the Jesuits, and they established the College of the Santísima Trinidad as part of the complex in 1759. Just eight years later, the Jesuits were expelled from New Spain. The church towers were not completed according to the original plan, and in 1808 during a renovation project, the dome collapsed. The present dome was built in the late 19th century in a Neo-Classical style. The original Baroque retablos also disappeared and have been replaced with Neo-Classical altars.

Located 50 kilometers north of Valladolid, this Franciscan monastery was founded in 1553. While the monastery was complete by 1588, the present church was not built until the mid 18th century. Stone statues of the Three Wise Men were once displayed in niches in the austere facade of the church. Almost devoid of ornament, the facade stands between two huge tower bases. The towers, which might have softened the severity of the facade, were never built. Dating from colonial times up to the present, this convento has served as a major pilgrimage site for those celebrating the arrival of the Three Wise Men. The height of the two-week-long celebration is Epiphany on January 6.

The Tribunal (Courthouse) of the city of Guanajuato is located on the Plaza de la Paz, sometimes referred to as the Plaza Mayor. Built as a private residence around 1800, it is an excellent example of Neo-Classical Architecture.

This delicately feminine house was built for the Marquesa de la Villa del Villar del Aguila, who preferred to live separately from her husband. The rich ornamentation of the house comes from both the Mudéjar and the Baroque traditions. Everything undulates, curves and sparkles with color. Built in 1756, the house was recently renovated and made into a small luxury hotel.

Francisco de Montejo the younger, the son of the conquistador who conquered the Yucatán, became the leading civil authority in Mérida. In 1549 he built this house on the central plaza of Mérida. The elaborately carved facade, still in tact, exemplifies plateresque style in a civilian context. The house was occupied by Montejo's descendants until the 1970's when it was purchased and restored by Banamex (a bank).

The present capitol building for the state of Aguascalientes was originally founded as the mansion for a priest in 1665. On his death, the Rincon Gallardo family took over the mansion carving their coats-of-arms over the balconies of the side facing the main square. The exterior of the building is a dark red tezontle (basalt) with window and door frames elaborately carved in a light cantera rosa (limestone). The interior has two arcaded patios with an elegant central staircase. Muralist Osvaldo Barra decorated many of the interior walls with a series of frescos from 1961-1990.

The diocese of Mexico was established in 1530. The original cathedral, whose construction started around 1524, was demolished in 1624 in favor of the present building.

The construction of this second Cathedral was supervised by a multitude of master architects over a span of more than two centuries. The cornerstone was laid in 1573, but the finishing touches that unified its facade were not complete until shortly before Independence in the early 19th century.

The Cathedral started with a severe Renaissance style reminiscent of the Escorial in Spain; later its lines were softened by Baroque ornamentation; and finally Don Manuel Tolsá topped the building with Neo-Classical elegance.

The interior of the church is a basilica with a barrel-vaulted nave and lower side aisles vaulted with saucer domes. The aisles are lit by lunettes pierced with triple windows; triple clerestory windows in the nave echo the windows of the aisles. The cupola over the crossing adds to the light with the windows of the drum and lantern.

The most influential churrigueresque retablo in Mexico, the Altar de los Reyes, stands at the Cathedral's north end.

The present-day Cathedral began as a parish church for the rich colonial silver town of Zacatecas. Construction was started in 1729, and the church was dedicated in 1752. Construction continued on the side portals and towers, the last of which was not completed until 1904. In 1862 the parish church was raised to the level of Cathedral.

The enormous retablo facade was carved from a brownish colored stone that changes color in the sunlight. This intricately carved facade features life-sized statues of Christ and his 12 disciples engulfed in a framework of overflowing relief sculpture. Vines, leaves, scallop shells, twisted columns, angels, and musicians proliferate. The facade is a masterpiece of local craftsmanship, a splendid example of popular art.

Sadly, the interior was redecorated in the 19th century in a neo-classical style. Partially restored in 1964-65, it now more closely reflects the original.

The diocese of Yucatan was founded in 1562, making it one of the original seven bishoprics established in New Spain. Dedicated to San Idelfonso of Toledo, this was the first cathedral to be completed on the American mainland, and the oldest still standing in its original form. The cornerstone was laid in 1562, construction was completed in 1599. The final and principal architect was Juan Miguel de Agüero. Stylistically austere, simple, bold, the Cathedral shifted away from the elaborate ornamentation of the Plateresque toward the sobriety of the Renaissance.

The elegant stone structure now standing in Morelia was preceded by a 16th century building of wood and adobe. Vicencio Barroso de la Escayola, an Italian architect, completed the plans for the present building in 1660. The cathedral was dedicated in 1705, though the facade and towers were not complete until later (1711 and 1744 respectively). The facade of the cathedral, divided into three sections, retains its classical lines beneath a surface of Baroque ornamentation that adds a dynamic sense of movement to the building.

This building served originally as the church for a Franciscan monastery founded in 1526; it became the cathedral for Cuernavaca in 1891. The fifth mission to begin construction on the continent, La Anunciación de Nuestra Señora employed pre-Conquest building techniques such thick rubble walls reinforced by cut stone at corners, windows, and doorways. The complex was largely complete by 1574. There is little documentation on the original construction, but scholars believe that the open chapel preceded the building of the church. As such, the chapel was probably one of the first fully vaulted buildings on the continent. As the sixteenth century was coming to an end and the evangelization of the indigenous population in Mexico was also diminishing, the Franciscans turned their interest toward the orient. Early 17th century frescos in the nave of the church document the martyrdom of Mexico\'s first saint, San Felipe de Jesús, in far away Japan. The Franciscan brother, originally from Mexico, left the order to sign up on a merchant ship in 1589. He reentered the religious order in Manila in 1590. Six years later, he set off for Mexico to be ordained, but his ship was blown off course, and he ended up in Japan. Suspicious of the intentions of the crew, the Emperor Hideyoshi arrested them and eventually had Fray Felipe and over 20 Japanese converts to Christianity crucified on a mountain near Nagasaki. The frescos depict the narrative in grisly detail and bright colors. San Felipe was beatified in 1627 and became the patron saint of Mexico City.

Originally the site of a 16th century Franciscan visita church, the present-day church was built in the 17th century. Located in the northwest suburbs of Mérida, San Pedro Cholul is known for its beautiful polychrome colonial murals. At the time that the photos on this website were taken, INAH (the National Institute of Anthropology and History) was completing a restoration of the murals under the direction of Fernando Garcés Fierros.

Construction on the church of San Cristóbal, Puebla, was completed in 1687. Built to serve an orphanage, the church abounds with sculptures of children and cherubs. Manuel Toussaint characterizes the church of San Cristóbal in Puebla as "Rich Baroque," an important stepping stone between "Sober Baroque" and the "Exuberant Baroque" of the Rosary Chapel of Santo Domingo, Puebla. He asserts that the adornment of the facade of grey stone and marble arises from artistic caprice and fantasy, resulting in a refined lavishness. The original towers were torn down in 1856 and reconstructed in the second half of the 20th century. The interior vaults are completely covered with relief ornament.

A folk version of the Rosary Chapel of Santo Domingo in the city of Puebla, the church at Tonantzintla probably started construction sometime after 1690. The elaborate stucco work of the interior, designed and executed by native craftsmen, makes this church a unique masterpiece. The interior decoration was probably completed in the 18th century. The name of the village, Tonanzintla, means the place of Tonantzín. A pre-Columbian mother goddess, Tonantzín has been identified with the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. The multitude of indigenous elements incorporated into the decoration points to the fusion of indigenous and European elements in the Mexican Catholic church.

This stunning church sits on a hillside overlooking the city of Tlaxcala. It marks the spot where, according to legend, the Virgin made a miraculous apperance in 1540. It remains a pilgrimage destination to this day. Though the foundations for this sumptuously decorated church were laid in 1687, the building was not completed till the last decades of the 18th century. As late as 1957, an ornate fence was built surrounding the atrium of the church. The brilliant white Facade and Bell Towers make a striking contrast tot he bright red tile of the tower bases. This church serves as an excellent example of Mexican Churrigueresque architecture with its ornately carved facade replete with volutes, estiples, angles, saints, and the Virgin Mary herself.

This stunningly beautiful house is unique in that the entire exterior wall space of the building is covered with glazed ceramic tiles (azulejos), hence its popular name Casa de Azulejos or House of Tiles. For over two centuries, the property was held by the Condes [Counts] del Valle de Orizaba, one of the wealthiest families in Mexico. There is little documentation on the construction of the building, but a legend has grown up around its origin. It tells of a ne’er-do-well son of one of the Counts. Enraged by his son’s irresponsibility, the Count claims his son will “never build a house of tiles,” a Spanish saying that is the equivalent of saying that he will never amount to anything. The son takes heed, becomes rich, then builds the House of Tiles. Some think that it is more likely that the Countess Graciana (1683-1737) built the house. She moved from Puebla to Mexico City in 1708, and according to her will, she rebuilt the family mansion.

Sanborns purchased the house in 1919 and installed an American-style soda fountain, restaurant and store.

Well before the Conquest, the Aztecs built the "New Houses" of the Emperor Montezuma on the central plaza of Tenochtitlán. When the Spaniards occupied the city, they razed the home of the former emperor. Hernán Cortés then built his palace on these pre-Hispanic foundations using the stones of the former buildings. A century later Cortés' Palace burned down. Friar Diego Valverde started reconstruction of the palace in the late 1620's. Renovations continued into the 20th Century, and in 1926, a third story was added to the existing building.

The Franciscans arrived in Tecamachalco in 1541. The church was dedicated in 1551 and completed by 1557. During this time Andrés de Olmos, Francisco de las Navas, and Toribios de Benavente (Motolinía) resided in this dusty outpost and taught the local indigenous peoples not only the rudiments of Christianity, but also the tenets of European art. At the same time, the diseases brought by the Spanish resulted in unremitting loss of life for the indigenous population. The 16th century saw three major epidemics in Tecamachalco (1520, 1542, and 1577). The authorities estimated that 90 percent of the native population in the area had disappeared by 1580.

For their part, the Franciscans fervently believed that the evangelization of the indigenous population of the New World was essential to precipitate the second coming of Christ. Not surprisingly, Motolonía drew parallels between the epidemics and famine that were decimating the native peoples and the disastrous events described in Revelation announcing the imminent return of Christ. The Apocalypse gave meaning to this tragedy of human suffering.

In 1562, Juan Gerson, a local indigenous artist, created a remarkable series of images depicting the Apocalypse of John. He painted on amate paper, the same paper used by indigenous peoples in their pre-conquest books. He employed brilliant images using a palette typical of pre-Colombian murals: turquoise, white, black and ochre. The finished paintings were affixed to the soffit of the choir loft in the church between the ribs of the vault.

The friars undoubtedly exposed Gerson to illustrated Bibles and prints by Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein, and other European artists. While Gerson utilized the works of these European masters to organize the formal layout of many scenes, he did not copy the small, black-and-white, poorly reproduced prints. Instead, he created large paintings imbued with rich, vibrant colors. Gerson simplified forms and interpreted images, making them more accessible to his indigenous brothers. The representation of death, disaster and destruction surely resonated with the local population.

After the Conquest, Carlos V awarded a large tract of land that included the city of Cuauhnahuac [Cuernavaca] to Hernán Cortés. Close to Mexico City, but 3,000 feet lower in elevation, Cuernavaca made an ideal site for the winter palace of the Conquistador. Reportedly, construction began in 1523, and the palace was complete by 1528. It remained in hands of the family for the first century; later the building became a prison, then the state legislature, and finally a museum. In 1929, Diego Rivera painted a series of murals depicting the history of Cuernavaca in the palace.Due to extensive remodeling and building over the centuries, few architectural details of the present palace date back to the 16th century. The shell of the building and the loggias in front and in back appear to be original.

The Franciscans founded a monastery on this site in the late 1520s, using Indian labor and stones from the pre-Columbian temple of Quetzalcoatl. The cloister and open chapel still remain; the posa chapels were destroyed in a flood.

In 1539 the Augustinian Order took control of the convento. They built a second cloister and the church (1540-1560). The church facade is among the earliest surviving examples of plateresque architecture in Mexico (completed 1560). In this elegant facade, sophisticated statues of St. Peter and St. Paul share their space with an ancient Aztec emblem glyph representing the place name for the site (the arm of the first man crowned by water glyphs and seashells). The double, paneled arch of the portal displays fruits and vegetables, bread and fish interspersed with angels.

Relief carvings decorate the spandrels between the arches of the cloister, and the capitals of the supporting columns are topped with what look like Aztec feathers. Late 16th century frescos adorn the cloister walks.

The Jesuits established this monastery on the outskirts of present-day Mexico City in 1582. The Seminario de San Martín, founded two years later, became an important institution for educating the indigenous population. The cornerstone of the present church was laid in 1670. Though dedicated to San Francisco Javier, the church is usually referred to as San Martín. The eighteenth-century adornments of the church, including eleven dazzling gilded retablos and the exquisitely carved facade and tower, define this church as a prime example of Churrigueresque architecture in Mexico. A camarín, a ceremonial dressing room, for the Virgin of Loreto was probably completed in the 18th century as well. The camarín is noted for its Moorish banded dome and multistage lantern, both very unusual in Mexico.

Nestled in the remote mountain village of Tarécuato, Michoacán, this Franciscan monastery was built in the 1540's. The church was constructed after 1548 by Fray Jacobo Daciano, a Danish aristocrat who took vows of poverty and lived out his life in rural Mexico. The facade of the church is very simple with a knotted Franciscan cord the only adornment around the alfiz of the portal. A heavy square bell tower occupies the northwest corner and a colonnaded walkway on the south leads to the monastery. A stone cross rises above the atrium supported by a pedestal sculpted on all sides with complex foliate motifs. The instruments of Christ's Passion are carved in relief on the side of the cross facing the church.

Augustinian friars arrived in Ixmiquilpan in 1548 and they founded the monastery in 1550. Fray Andrés de Mata (also the architect of Actopan) completed the building in the early 1560s. The building is very similar in plan to that of Actopan, but on a smaller scale.

In 1960 a remarkable set of 16th century murals painted by the local indigenous group (the Otomís), was discovered under layers of yellow paint in the nave of the church. While the Otomís had converted readily to Christianity, the Chichimecas, their enemies to the north, continued hostilities against the mission until as late as 1569. The frescoes depict battles of Otomí warriors wearing pre-Conquest style battle garb (loin cloths, jaguar and coyote skins) and wielding traditional weapons (obsidian edged clubs or macanas) against mythological and fantastic creatures armed with bows and arrows (the preferred weapons of the Chichimecas).

Art historians have puzzled over why the Augustinian friars would have allowed the Otomís to paint such clearly pagan images on the walls of the church. It appears that the friars appropriated the dramatic indigenous scenes in order to help their converts understand the Christian struggle of good against evil.

Fray Andrés de Mata began construction on the monastery of San Nicolás of Tolentino in 1550. Similar in plan to other Augustinian missions, San Nicolás is known for its colossal monumentality. The open chapel is a barrel vault that measures 57 feet in width - larger than all but one of the vaults of Europe at the time. Local artists painted the interior with scenes patterned on Medieval prints depicting the Old Testament and the Last Judgment.Garitas (ornamental sentry boxes) crown the buttresses along the battlemented roof line of the church. The facade combines both Medieval and Renaissance elements, and the bell tower has a distinctly Moorish flavor.The adjoining cloister is Gothic with pointed arches and ribbed vaults on the ground level. Renaissance frescoes of Augustinian saints line the enormous staircase that leads to the upper cloister. Based on European woodcuts, the paintings are mostly black and white with occasional accents of color.

This historic Franciscan monastery was founded in 1549. Fray Juan de Merida designed this enormous complex in the austere style typical of Franciscan monasteries of the period. Fray Diego de Landa (later to become Bishop of the Yucatan, the severe inquisitor famous for his destruction of countless Maya texts) directed the construction which began in 1553. Built on the foundations of a Maya temple with stones from that same temple, the monastery was completed by 1561. The atrium, largest in the Americas, is bounded on three sides by arcades added in the 17th century.

In pre-Conquest Mexico, Xochimilco was the agricultural center that provided Tenochtitlan (the Aztec capital) with fresh fruits and vegetables. On his arrival, Cortes admired Xochimilco, but finding its inhabitants unwilling to surrender to his troops, he burned it to the ground. Three years later (1524), Fray Martin de Valencia, the leader of the original 12 Franciscan Friars in Mexico, returned to Xochimilco to start the spiritual conquest of its rebellious inhabitants. Construction on the missionary complex of San Bernadino de Siena started in 1535 and was mostly complete by 1550. The north portal of the church demonstrates the original Plateresque design. After its collapse in 1585, the main facade was rebuilt in a more classical Renaissance style. The mudéjar ceiling that originally graced the church was replaced by a vault and dome. The magnificent main retablo remains the crown jewel. It is one of three great Renaissance retablos from the late 16th century to survive in Mexico.

This parish church for the barrio of San Cristobal was founded in 1757, but not completed until 1796. The architect is unknown, but may have been Juan de Torres, builder of the church at Umán. Coffered vaulting and the dome over crossing are similar to those of the Cathedral. A Neoclassical stone retablo was added in the 19th century. The church has many baroque touches while maintaining its Yucatecan austerity. Dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, it still serves as a pilgrimage church for hundreds of faithful who flock to the site on the 12th of December.

Enter Building DescriptThe town of Cuautinchán (also spelled “Cuauhtinchán”) lies just a few miles southeast of the city of Puebla. Franciscan friars began the conversion of the native population early, in 1527-28. They built a humble church dedicated to San Juan Bautista in 1534; construction on the present building started in 1569. The church and adjoining monastery demonstrate a sober purista style, devoid of the whimsical ornamentation typical of earlier Plateresque buildings. Two tall, slender towers buttress the classical facade.The main retablo was commissioned in 1593; it is attributed to Juan de Arrué, the first major painter born in New Spain. Considered one of the three great Renaissance retablos to survive in Mexico, it is smaller and simpler than those of Huejotzingo and Xochimilco. Traces of murals survive in the portería leading into the monastery. A mural above one of the cloister doors is of the Annunciation flanked by a jaguar and an eagle, a probable reference to the pre-Columbian toponym for Cuautinchan.ion Here

This small Franciscan church and monastery complex was founded in 1558 along with the establishment of the surrounding town. Actual construction on the present church took place some time after 1570; the church was complete by 1586. Like the monastery at Ixmiquilpan, Alfajayucan was an outpost of Christianized Otomís under attack by Chichimeca forces. The church facade is austere to the point of severity. Carved coffers bordering the portal and choir window are the only decorative elements to soften the expanse of ashlar stonework. The interior, equally simple in line, has a barrel vault and a Neo-Classical altar.The remains of the monastery lie on the north of the church, and inside the cloister is a magnificent stone cross that once stood in the atrium. This cross is carved front and back, and even under the arms, with the Instruments of Christ's Passion.

This 16th Century mansion, Casa del Que Mato al Animal, still has an excellent plateresque frame around the entry door. Elaborately carved in relief, the frame contains scenes of hunting with abundant foliage, pomegranates, and grotesques. The three story building belonged to Mayorazgo de Pérez Salazar, one of the oldest families in Puebla. It now houses the headquarters of a newspaper.

Originally a visita of Huejotzingo, Saint Andrew later became an independent monastery. Work on the present complex dates from about 1548; construction was supervised by Franciscan Friar Juan de Alameda. The church, typically Plateresque, has an elaborately carved west portal, and is otherwise quite plain. The tall narrow facade has a Gothic feel with its double arched choir windows draped with the Franciscan cord. All four of the original posas are intact and in excellent condition. These, the most elaborately decorated posas in Mexico, represent an outstanding example of tequítqui sculpture. Scholars posit that perhaps the skilled craftsmen of nearby Huejotzingo carved these reliefs, but with less European supervision, and thus with a more distinct indigenous flavor.

The Franciscans founded the monastery in 1552, and the church was consecrated in 1560. Building was complete by 1588. San Bernadino de Sisal has the distinction of being one of the few monasteries built on top of a cenote (sinkhole). Given the weight of the building, the underground river delayed and complicated construction of the complex. In the 17th century a well house or noria was built over the opening to the cenote to provide water.

Originally a visita for the nearby monastery at Tinum, Uayma became the head mission in the 17th century. The convento was completed in 1642 using stones from nearby Maya ruins. In the 18th century, the secular clergy built the exuberantly decorated church that we see today. Both the exterior and interior of the church were stuccoed, incised with highly stylized flowers and geometric patterns, then painted in bright terra cotta, turquoise and a creamy white. The church was burned during the Caste War in the mid-19th Century; it was abandoned and its vault completely collapsed. Restoration of the church to its pristine condition was completed by Adopte una obra de arte (Adopt a Work of Art) and INAH (The National Institue of Anthropology and History) in 2004.

Founded in 1524 shortly after the Conquest, this early monastery complex served the Tlaxcalecan allies of Hernan Cortes. Construction on the monastery began around 1536, and the open chapel, one of the earliest in New Spain, was complete in 1539. Visitors can still view the open chapel's graceful ogee arches, evidence of Moorish influence on Spanish architecture. Behind the austere simplicity of the church facade lies another superb example of mudejar (Moorish) architecture - an intricately carved cedar ceiling punctuated with dazzling gilded stars.

The monastery church of San Francisco sits in the center of the city of Querétaro, across from the Plaza de la Constitución, which was formerly its atrium. Architect José de Bayas Delgado started construction on the present church in 1658. The two tiered retablo facade of this early baroque church is highly geometric. It has fluted Corinthian pilasters, shell niches and classical entablatures, crowned with a striking relief sculpture of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moorslayer).

Halacho, "Reed of the Rats" in Maya. This 18th Century basilican church is dedicated to St. James, sometimes referred to as "the Moorslayer". The church became a shrine to Santiago and a center for pilgrimages. The scallop shell motif, symbolizing St. James, is incorporated into the facade and throughout the church.

The church of San Mateo sits atop ancient Maya ruins that raise it well above the surrounding town of Santa Elena. The sacristy dates from the 16th century when it formed part of a Franciscan visita. The rest of the church was built in the 18th century, completed in 1779. This austere rural church houses a number of colonial retablos, including some unique box retablos.

The Franciscans established a mission in Huejotzingo in 1529. Construction of the present buildings started in the late 1540s and the complex was completed in the 1570s. Juan de Alameda was the architect and engineer. All four posa chapels are still in tact. Both the church and monastery retain original murals from the 16th and early 17th century. Most notable mural: the original 12 Franciscan friars who came to Mexico in 1524.

Maxcanu, "We who are the Canul" in Maya. This site dates from 1588. It was a resident friary starting in 1603; and the present church was constructed from 1678-1708. The facade and main retablo were added later. (Perry, Maya Missions)

The Franciscan monastery at Mani was founded in 1547. The cornerstone was laid in 1550 under the direction of friar-architect Juan de Mérida. Built on the platform of a Maya temple, stones from the Maya structure were utilized to build the convento. Construction was complete by 1580. This historic convento was the place where Fray Diego de Landa, acting with the authority of the Spanish Inquisition, prosecuted an auto da fe in which hundreds of Maya documents and books were burned. (Perry, Maya Missions)

This rural Franciscan monastery has a one story cloister typical of 17th century Yucatecan conventos. Its cemetery is one of the largest in the area. The church, built in the second half of the 17th century (1650-1690) houses a handsome colonial retablo. An extensive series of murals were recently discovered in the sacristy.

Guanajuato,1775-88. This church, is 2 kilometers north of the city of Guanajuato on the road to Dolores Hildalgo. It was built largely through the patronage of the Count of Valenciana, owner of one of the most productive silver mines in the world during that time period. Andres Manuel de la Riva designed the facade and the 3 gilded wooden retablos.

Built at the end of the 18th Century, the entire facade of this Churrigueresque church was elaborated using individually crafted Talavera ceramic tiles. Solomonic columns, estipites, cornices, bell tower and dome are all skillfully fashioned by the local potters. The interior of the church equals the beauty of its brilliantly covered facade with elaborate stucco scupltural detail and a pulpit carved in stone.

The XVI Century, Hospital de Indios, was originally dedicated to Nuestra Senora de la Miseracordia de los Indios Tarascos (Our Lady of Mercy of the Tarascan Indians). The present church was completed in 1713; the facade in 1733. The Baroque facade features a half moon with a star in each extreme, which indicates the passage of Venus by the moon-an allusion to the pre-Colombian calendar.

In 1550, Augustinian Friar Alonso de la Veracruz founded the monastery of Yuriria. Pedro del Toro acted as the architect and completed the building in 1559. A prime example of 16th Century Plateresque architecture, the monastery has an elaborate facade surrounding the main portal. The local indigenous groups (the Otomies, the Chichimecs, and the Purepechas), who supplied the labor for the project, influenced the decorative ornamentation of the facade.

Historical documentation of the Casa de Rayas is scarce, as is the case with many colonial era houses. A plaque at the entrance to the building dates the house to1697, though it may well have been built at an earlier date. We do know that by the late 17th century the Sardoneta family owned the home. As owners of the Rayas silver mine, the Sardoneta family became one of the richest families in Mexico. By the18th century the family had become titled nobility, and the house was known as the House of the Marquises de Rayas (La Casa de los Marqueses de Rayas). In 1776 the family built a private chapel on the second floor of the mansion with an impressive Churrigueresque portal and retablo, both designed by architect Felipe de Ureña. The altarpiece was sold in the early 1920's and now resides at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. The Casa de Rayas has become the city museum of the city of Guanajuato, and the chapel now functions as a small auditorium. Mexican muralist José Chávez Morado was commissioned to paint the walls of the onetime chapel with modern frescos.

In 1538 a diocese in San Cristobal was established as one of the seven original bishoprics of New Spain. A small adobe building served as the cathedral until the construction of the present building in the 1670s. Baroque in style, the cathedral resembles the churches of Guatemala more than those of Mexico. It houses two 18th century, gilded retablos, also in the style of Guatemala. After an earthquake in 1902, the interior was rebuilt in a neo-classical style with arcades of Corinthian columns separating the side aisles from the nave.

San Luis Potosí was founded near one of the richest silver and gold mines in Mexico. In colonial times, the city's wealth was expressed in the magnificence of its churches. El Templo del Carmen, a prime example, dates from 1749 to 1764. The church facade is a Churrigueresque masterpiece of intricate carving with elaborate solomonic columns in the lower tier and estípites above. An abundance of foliation and strapwork contribute to the lush extravagance of the facade. The interior walls of the church are lined with gilded retablos, and a brilliant white folk retablo done in argamasa (a type of cement) in the left transept opens on to an equally brilliant camarín (a dressing room for the virgin).

This modest church was originally a visita of the Augustinian monastery of Tiripetío. Built sometime in the mid-1500's, the church underwent major reconstruction in the 18th century.On October 3, 1717, a local villager found a small wooden sculpture of Jesus in the branches of a pine tree. The villager took El Señor del Pinito (the Lord of the Little Pine) to the church where the statue performed many miracles. The church quickly became a pilgrimage site, and by 1725 the statue's fame had attracted so many visitors that the locals decided to paint the ceiling with an elaborate cycle of 47 panels, a project that took 30 years to complete. The central panels narrate the life of Mary followed by that of Jesus. The surrounding panels illustrate the Instruments of the Passion of Christ, the symbols associated with each step that leads to the crucifixion. By 1761 a gilded Baroque altarpiece was built for the church, and an elegant altar covered in silver leaf was completed in 1765. The exterior of the church remains austerely simple.

This beautiful and unique fountain was designed and built by Dominican friar Fray Rodrigo de León in the 1560s. It incorporates Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance elements into a harmonious whole. The interplay of octagonal forms reflects Moorish designs typical of southern Spain. The octagonal pool at the center of the fountain is surrounded by an arcade of decorative mudéjar style brick work. This inner arcade is covered by a ribbed vault supported by eight substantial flying buttresses, both Gothic elements. And the exterior of the dome is crowned by a blind lantern, a Renaissance touch.

The monastery of Los Santos Reyes (The Three Wisemen) overlooks the town of Metztitlán and the valley below. Originally built in a low-lying area near Lake Metztitlán, the convento was moved due to flooding. Its present location high on the mountainside overlooks the town. It required more than a million cubic feet of earth to build a level space for its enormous atrium in the steep terrain. Los Santos Reyes was founded in 1538, moved in the 1540's, and completed in the 1560's. Unlike most 16th century examples, this single-nave church faces south, probably due to the topography of the site. Other irregularities in design include the placement of its posa chapels and a double open chapel.

Dedicated to San Luis Obispo, the visita was converted to a monastery in 1555. Built on a pre-conquest platform, the open chapel was raised high above the atrium with a three arch portería below. The chapel faced south, an unusual orientation due perhaps to the position of the original platform. A long ramada, a light structure of wooden poles and a thatch roof, sheltered the worshipers from the weather. Built around the open chapel, a 17th century church was constructed on an east-west axis. Almost nothing is left of the original open chapel which, in the 18th century, was converted into a sanctuary for a second church built on the site of the ramada.

This remarkable parish church rises high above the streets of Taxco, one of the most picturesque of Mexico's silver cities. José de la Borda, a silver miner, struck it rich in the late 1740s. In 1751 he contracted Cayetano de Sigüenza to build the church of Santa Prisca in order to repay God for his good fortune. With Borda's generous patronage, it was completed in just seven years.

Santa Prisca's magnificent Churrigueresque facade alternates between austere simplicity and elaborate ornamentation. The plainness of the tower bases frames the intricacy of the central panel. The dense carving of the facade and the two towers forms a great letter Y that reaches for the sky.

The interior of the church continues the pattern of contrast between ornate and plain. The walls of the church, lined with twelve gilded baroque retablos, rise amidst a frenzy of swirls, scrolls, statues and rusticated pilasters up to the cornice line where they meet a simple groin vault. Isidro Vicente de Balbás created several of the shimmering retablos, and Miguel Cabrera, one of Mexico's most famous colonial artists, graced the church with several paintings.

In the mid-16th century, a Dominican friar created a hermitage where San Jerónimo stands today. The monastery was initiated in the 1580s, but most construction came much later. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the church building was enlarged; the facade, the choir, the domes and the bell towers were added. Reflecting conditions in the earthquake-prone state of Oaxaca, the bases of the church towers are massive, and the bell towers are low. The facade is divided by strong horizontal cornices and topped by a fanciful pediment. Statues with a folk-like quality fill the simple arched niches. Traces of paint suggest that the entire facade was once painted in bright hues. Over the last twenty years, Lic. Mireya Olvera has lead a team of artists, architects, stone masons, technicians, and local residents in the painstaking task of restoring the church to its former glory. They have utilized rigorous scientific technique and historical data to insure the accuracy of the project. Several funding sources (principally the Alfredo Harp Helu Foundation) have financed the work. One of the first projects completed was the restoration of the 18th century organ (1990-91, funded by the Pichiquequiti Foundation).The interior of the church is filled with bright colored frescos and colonial altarpieces.

In this example the Arma Christi appear carved on a stone atrium cross. This context, very common in 16th Century Mexican churches, appears to be a New World innovation. While images of the Instruments of the Passion are very common in European churches, they are not carved on the cross. Instruments from top left: the sword, the nails, the crown of thorns, the 30 coins, the rooster, the column, and the chalice.